The Vigilantes trace their lineage to August 6, 1948, when the squadron was established as Fighter Squadron 23 (VF-23). Flying the F4U Corsair, VF-23 deployed to the Mediterranean before moving to the Pacific and entering combat during the Korean War. The squadron supported the amphibious landings at Inchon and later flew the F9F Panther and F2H Banshee. In 1959, VF-23 was redesignated VF-151 and adopted the Vigilantes name.
The Vigilantes transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II in 1964 and completed seven combat deployments during the Vietnam War. From 1965 through 1973, the squadron participated in every major operation of the war, including Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker I. In 1972, VF-151 spent 205 consecutive days conducting combat operations, which the Navy records as the longest unbroken period of combat flight operations during the Vietnam War.
In 1986, VF-151 transitioned from the F-4 Phantom II to the F/A-18 Hornet and was redesignated VFA-151. The Vigilantes later flew combat missions during Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, and other operations. In 2013, the squadron began transitioning to the F/A-18E Super Hornet. Today, VFA-151 continues to fly the single-seat F/A-18E, carrying forward a Naval Aviation legacy spanning more than seven decades.
